Which Theme Park?

[reeinaz]

Hi all. 
I’m cruising out of Port Canaveral May 2022. We get back on a Friday and I’m going to stay until Sunday to visit a theme park or 2. It’s just me and a girlfriend. No kids. I have never been to any of the Orlando parks. My friend has been to all of them except Animal Kingdom. She suggests Magic Kingdom since I’ve never been. But I was actually thinking of Universal just because I don’t identify as a “Disney person”. But I’m sure I would lose my s**t if I saw Mickey Mouse. Can we do both? Is that too ambitious for 2 days (day and a half)? 
What would you suggest to make the most of my time there?

TIA

[EngIceDave]

Universal

 

Do Islands of Adventure and then the Studio the next day.

 

Disney is a zoo, I mean really bad.

 

If you have the extra coin, spring for the "Express Pass" at Universal, it can vary in price, but usually about $50 or so per day, per park.

It gets you access to the front of the line for every ride, once.

 

Makes it easier to do the whole park in a day.

[rkacruiser]

I truly enjoyed Epcot as well as The Magic Kingdom.  I also really enjoyed Sea World.

[MJC]

It depends on what kind of experience you want, really. If you like thrill rides, then def Universal. Since I can't ride the big rides any more, I like Animal Kingdom because I've been to the MK many times and I just find AK to be better designed for adults in terms of comfort, shade, eateries, etc. If you go during a day with Extra Magic Hours you can get in an hour early. I rode Avatar 3x in a row and then Expedition Everest until my back didn't like it any more, and was on to other things by 9am. 🙂

 

If you want to do MK I suggest you stay at a Disney property so you can get the early FastPass for the big popular rides (you can reserve times 6 months in advance that way). Go first thing when it opens, do all the big rides, then wander around for the ambiance. Have a res for lunch, by then it is very crowded. Then go somewhere else, swim in the pool, take a nap because you were up early, come back for the parade and fireworks. Try mousesavers for helpful planning info. Don't forget some people plan for a year or more for a Disney vacation since it is often a once in a lifetime trip for their families. I am a planning nut, but if you are not, you can still just enjoy yourself but be prepared to wait longer in line.

 

We both think Disney is much more fun for grownups. After all, we have never been seen crying at WDW. 🙂

 

[bigrednole]

Go to Universal and stay at one of their hotels that gets early access AND the front of line access. It is so worth it.

[DKimmey]

3 hours ago, bigrednole said:

Go to Universal and stay at one of their hotels that gets early access AND the front of line access. It is so worth it.

100%....Forgot about staying there (because I live here...LOL)

[SoCA6ft5]

The Universal Hotels that include Express Pass (Front of line access) are Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific. Although the upfront cost may seem much higher at these resorts than the others at Universal, once you factor in the cost of having to pay for an Express Pass for 2 people (~$220-$300 a day), the overall cost is often less. 

I wouldn't suggest trying to do both Universal and Disney in just 2 days. There's just too much to see in each park.

Edited July 19, 2021 by SoCA6ft5